Improvement in sled-brakes



J. WILLIS.

Sled Brake.

No. 108,545. Patented Oct. 18, 1870.

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Letters Patent No. 108,545, dated. October 18, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLED-BRAKES.

The $chedu1e referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WILLIs, of Mifliin, in the county of Iowa and in the State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sled-Brake; and do hereby declare that the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a sleddnakefiaswill be hereinafter fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in vthe art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Y F igure 1 is a side elevation, and

Figure 2 is a bottom view of a sled with mybrake attached. I

A A represent the runners of a sled, connected near their frontends by means of the tongue-rod or coupling-rod B.

G O are the dogs, made broad and fiat, as shown, and curved similar to the curve on the sled to which they may be attached.

These dogs are secured by means of screws, a a, which pass through the runners into the ends of the tongue or coupling-rod B.

When the dogs are in action, they are kept steady and to their places by means of flat plates or steadying-staples, I) D, passing outside ot'the dogs.

These staples can be put horizontal, and may constitute the two lowest T-irou rivets; or they may be put vertical, and constitute the two upper rivets in I the sled-stud or knee.

The dogs G O are operated by means of the rockshaft G, connected with the dogs by the rods 1) b.

The advantages of this invention of brake are many.

It is very simple in construction and very easy to operate..

The lever-power is so great that the operator can hold back a heavy load with the greatest ease; and, in consequence of this, the dogswill not need to be kept sharp, but only hooked or dull, which will make them tear up the road much less than when kept.

quite sharp.

The sweeping, curved shape of the dogs will prevent the twisting and welti'ng inclination which they would otherwise have, and at the same time give them a nice appearance.

The brakes will be quite out of way of everything, and will not be liable to get broken or twisted sidewise.

This brake wilt be alike useful for up-hill and downhill.

This plan of brake will be a great saving of sleds, owing to the factthat all the strain comes on the top part of the s1eds,;aud,'in case of auysadden jerks from roots or rocks, it would be counterbalanced by the team, which fully does away with the danger of straining the knees of the sled, as it is so apt to be the case with brakes that are fastened to the runners of sleds.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim. as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The combination of the dogs 0 G, tongue or coup: ling-rod B, staples D D, connecting-rods b b, and rockshaft G, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th'day of July, 1870.

JAMES WILLIS.

Witnesses Juo. HENRY, Jno. SMITH. 

